And is it true to say also that Orthodoxy became mainstream in many countries such as Russia, Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, etc.?

Yes...and it tends, in general, not to take on the flavour of fundamentalism seen in 'internet-orthodoxy'. They're Churches not made up of the ultra-pious, but by normal people, by 'sinners'. The religion of people who can't commit their fair share of sins, AND be OK with it, really scares me...that's how you get suicide bombers.

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"The liberties of people never were, nor ever will be, secure, when the transactions of their rulers may be concealed from them." -- Patrick Henry

The religion of people who can't commit their fair share of sins, AND be OK with it, really scares me...that's how you get suicide bombers.

The other end of the religious extremist spectrum is just as damaging and isolating as what is happening in Pakistan, Iran and Iraq, love. You have to wonder if this "Sister" is really doing more harm than good by being so disobedient to a Church she's suppose to love, and to hear you speak sometimes, Greeki, it's like the Church, whether Catholic or Orthodox, is doing something to its faithful that is the equivalent of the Inquisition. Let me tell you something. There was much persecution against Padre Pio by the Catholic Church, much persecution and inflicted silence on him because of the jealousies and lies of others. Yet this holy man endured all of it for the sake of Christ, and this goodness won out in the end. This woman is very much like a suicide bomber in her Cujo-like anger and hatred for the teaching and traditions of the Catholic Church. Catholicism and Orthodoxy are not cults like The Family, love. There are reasons for our restrictions, and the modern world will never accept these because the modern world doesn't see much use in the modesty and restraint that is the love of Christ through the Church. I do agree that sin has entered both Catholicism and Orthodoxy, such as in the forms of indulgences and Purgatory.Yet both religions are made up of flawed people, yet is it too far fetched to say that both have brought more peace than heartache to the world? Can one be at peace with God and Heaven if one disobeys those religious laws that are designed to bring us closer to God? There is reason in the rules of our Churches because God did not create the world and then leave, Greeki.

I certainly don't have explanations for a lot of things, but I trust that God is still guiding the Catholic and Orthodox Churches. I also believe that like any wayward child, we often think we know better than the One who created everything you see. You admire Science and Nature so much, and that is very noble, but just remember Who came up with the workings behind them. God knows what He's doing, and I think this nun has turned her back on that Reason and is behaving like an apostate.

Inappropriate colourful language.

« Last Edit: April 18, 2008, 05:36:35 PM by Pravoslavbob »

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*I am no longer posting on OC.net*

We all have a Black Dog and a White Dog inside of us. The One you feed the most eventually eats the Other.

All are tempted, but it is the courageous person who clings to God during the storm. For the Ego is a prison, but Christ is the Liberator

The other end of the religious extremist spectrum is just as damaging and isolating as what is happening in Pakistan, Iran and Iraq, love. You have to wonder if this "Sister" is really doing more harm than good by being so disobedient to a Church she's suppose to love, and to hear you speak sometimes, Greeki, it's like the Church, whether Catholic or Orthodox, is doing something to its faithful that is the equivalent of the Inquisition.

She is doing harm, though I do not blame her for it (as I believe she is doing it in ignorance), she is doing harm by giving the façade of credibility to institutions that deserve none. To institutions that have as their sole motive the destruction of humanism and human freedom. It might be better for us if the entire Catholic Church was like the SSPX, so that way we could simply laugh at them, dismiss them, and get on with our lives as 21st century human beings. But people like Sister Joan Chittister make us sit back and look at the Church as though there might be something to it, in the long run the fact that we even bother to give them the time of day may be very damaging.

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Let me tell you something. There was much persecution against Padre Pio by the Catholic Church, much persecution and inflicted silence on him because of the jealousies and lies of others. Yet this holy man endured all of it for the sake of Christ, and this goodness won out in the end.

The con-artist who claimed to be some pseudo-messiah? This guy couldn't stop cutting himself and tried to make it out as some divine gift? He obviously had a severe psychiatric disorder, I sympathize with the guy, he needed treatment and medication but never got it...a failure of the system, no doubt.

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This woman is very much like a suicide bomber in her Cujo-like anger and hatred for the teaching and traditions of the Catholic Church.

Last I heard she hasn't strapped C4 to her chest and blown up a school buses. It's unfortunate that some people think that just because someone can think objectively and see through their scam that they must be ready to kill them.

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Catholicism and Orthodoxy are not cults like The Family, love. There are reasons for our restrictions, and the modern world will never accept these because the modern world doesn't see much use in the modesty and restraint that is the love of Christ through the Church.

Hey, stick with one theory and go with it, you can't have it both ways. You can't be denouncing the world as evil and still be a legitimate religion...that fear of reality is pretty much the essence of a cult.

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I do agree that sin has entered both Catholicism and Orthodoxy, such as in the forms of indulgences and Purgatory.Yet both religions are made up of flawed people, yet is it too far fetched to say that both have brought more peace than heartache to the world?

Yes.

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Can one be at peace with God and Heaven if one disobeys those religious laws that are designed to bring us closer to God? There is reason in the rules of our Churches because God did not create the world and then leave, Greeki.

As slaves perhaps...If I cannot meet God as an equal, I would rather spend eternity without him. I only deal with equals.

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I certainly don't have explanations for a lot of things, but I trust that God is still guiding the Catholic and Orthodox Churches.

Why?

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I also believe that like any wayward child, we often think we know better than the One who created everything you see. You admire Science and Nature so much, and that is very noble, but just remember Who came up with the workings behind them. God knows what He's doing, and I think this nun has turned her back on that Reason and is farting in God's face.

Who came up with it? Randomness, chance, and natural selection? Sorry, just not willing to attribute a natural development to a personal deity.

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"The liberties of people never were, nor ever will be, secure, when the transactions of their rulers may be concealed from them." -- Patrick Henry

She is doing harm, though I do not blame her for it (as I believe she is doing it in ignorance), she is doing harm by giving the façade of credibility to institutions that deserve none. To institutions that have as their sole motive the destruction of humanism and human freedom. It might be better for us if the entire Catholic Church was like the SSPX, so that way we could simply laugh at them, dismiss them, and get on with our lives as 21st century human beings. But people like Sister Joan Chittister make us sit back and look at the Church as though there might be something to it, in the long run the fact that we even bother to give them the time of day may be very damaging.

GiC, do you mean this seriously, or what?

I realize the post that you're responding was a bit harsh in tone, and make have provoked a certain degree of sarcasm; but these statements just don't seem like you at all.

I realize the post that you're responding was a bit harsh in tone, and make have provoked a certain degree of sarcasm; but these statements just don't seem like you at all.

- Puzzled in New England

Eh, I only half mean it, I'm the person I was talking about who probably should dismiss the Church outright, but will look at people like Sr. Joan Chittister and pause, thinking maybe there's something there worth taking note of after all. My post was taking a step outside of myself and objectively considering the situation.

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"The liberties of people never were, nor ever will be, secure, when the transactions of their rulers may be concealed from them." -- Patrick Henry

Something that occurred to me: It would be more helpful to find out just what Sr. Joan has said or written so that her actual words and ideas could be examined and addressed, rather then just saying that she's a 'heretic' or 'doing harm' or making remarks on the lady's physical appearance. What does she say? What does she think is wrong?

Ebor

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"I wish they would remember that the charge to Peter was "Feed my sheep", not "Try experiments on my rats", or even "Teach my performing dogs new tricks". - C. S. Lewis

The other end of the religious extremist spectrum is just as damaging and isolating as what is happening in Pakistan, Iran and Iraq, love. You have to wonder if this "Sister" is really doing more harm than good by being so disobedient to a Church she's suppose to love, and to hear you speak sometimes, Greeki, it's like the Church, whether Catholic or Orthodox, is doing something to its faithful that is the equivalent of the Inquisition. Let me tell you something. There was much persecution against Padre Pio by the Catholic Church, much persecution and inflicted silence on him because of the jealousies and lies of others. Yet this holy man endured all of it for the sake of Christ, and this goodness won out in the end. This woman is very much like a suicide bomber in her Cujo-like anger and hatred for the teaching and traditions of the Catholic Church. Catholicism and Orthodoxy are not cults like The Family, love. There are reasons for our restrictions, and the modern world will never accept these because the modern world doesn't see much use in the modesty and restraint that is the love of Christ through the Church. I do agree that sin has entered both Catholicism and Orthodoxy, such as in the forms of indulgences and Purgatory.Yet both religions are made up of flawed people, yet is it too far fetched to say that both have brought more peace than heartache to the world? Can one be at peace with God and Heaven if one disobeys those religious laws that are designed to bring us closer to God? There is reason in the rules of our Churches because God did not create the world and then leave, Greeki.

I certainly don't have explanations for a lot of things, but I trust that God is still guiding the Catholic and Orthodox Churches. I also believe that like any wayward child, we often think we know better than the One who created everything you see. You admire Science and Nature so much, and that is very noble, but just remember Who came up with the workings behind them. God knows what He's doing, and I think this nun has turned her back on that Reason and is behaving like an apostate.